GB2207413A

GB2207413A - Electronic parts conveying device

Info

Publication number: GB2207413A
Application number: GB08814285A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Seiichi Hoshino
Original assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 1987-06-18
Filing date: 1988-06-16
Publication date: 1989-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-16
Also published as: GB2207413B; JPS64522U; JPH0736920Y2; GB8814285D0

Abstract

An electronic parts conveying device (1) for simultaneously conveying a plurality of electronic parts from a pallet placed at a feed station to a socket placed at a mounting station comprises a plurality of holding units (40, 50, 60, 70) slidably arranged on a pair of guide rods (80), a power cylinder (10) having a piston rod (11) connected at its free end to the nearest holding unit (70), a side plate (20) fixed to the power cylinder (10), a support bracket (30) having one end fixed to the side plate (20) and the other end fixed to the remotest holding unit (40), extension coil springs (90) interconnecting the adjacent holding units (50, 60, 70) and stoppers (100, 200) respectively for stopping the holding units (50, 60) at predetermined positions between the holding unit (70) and the holding unit (40). When the piston rod (11) is projected, the holding units (40, 50, 60, 70) are squeezed together at regular intervals corresponding to those between the electronic parts on the pallet. When the piston rod (11) is retracted, the holding units (40, 50, 60, 70) spread to intervals corresponding to those of the electronic parts on the socket. <IMAGE>

Description

"Electronic Parts Conveying Devices This invention relates to an electronic parts conveying device and particularly to such an electronic parts conveying device capable of holding a plurality of electronic parts at predetermined regular intervals in conveying the plurality of electronic parts.

An electronic parts conveying device as shown in Fig.

7 is used for conveying small electronic parts, for example, IC (integrated circuit) chips having smooth surfaces, in a mounting line. This electronic parts conveying device comprises a holding unit 600 and a robot hand 700. The holding unit 600 has a vertically movable shaft 601, a suction disk 602 attached to the lower end of the shaft 601, and a tube 603 connecting the suction disk 602 through a solenoid valve, not shown, to a vacuum source, not shown. The solenoid valve is controlled to attract an electronic part to the suction disk 602 or to release an electronic part from the suction disk 602. The robot hand 700 moves between a feed table 800 and a working table 900. Electronic parts arranged on a pallet 801 placed on the feed table 800 are attracted by suction to the suction disk 602 one at a time and are conveyed sequentially by the robot hand 700 to the working table 900.

The robot hand 700 conveys the electronic part to a predetermined position on a socket 902 placed on a socket receiver 901 mounted on the working table 900, and then the solenoid valve is controlled to release the electronic part from the suction disk 602, and thereby the electronic part is mounted on the socket 902 at a predetermined position.

A series of operations for positioning the electronic parts on the pallet 801, attracting and holding the electronic parts by the suction disk 602, conveying the electronic parts by the robot hand 700, and placing the electronic parts on the socket 902 is controlled sequentially by a controller, not shown.

This conventional electronic parts conveying device conveys one electronic part in one conveying cycle, and hence conveying the plurality of electronic parts from the feed table 800 to the working table 900 requires much time. Although it is not very difficult to convey a plurality of electronic parts at a time, intervals between the electronic parts arranged on the pallet 801 are required to be same as intervals between the electronic parts actually arranged on the socket 902. Prabtically, the electronic parts mounted on the socket 902 are required to be arranged at appropriate intervals for the nature of the socket 902 while the electronic parts mounted on the pallet 801 are required to be arranged at the least intervals to improve the conveyance efficiency.

Therefore, a means is required for altering the arrangement of the electronic parts mounted on the pallet 803 in accordance with the intervals of the electronic parts arranged on the socket 902.

The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems in the conventional electronic parts conveying device. According to the present invention, a plurality of holding units are arranged and connected by resilient members in series so as to be slidable, the holding unit at one end of the arrangement of the holding units is connected to the piston rod of a power cylinder, stoppers are arranged at predetermined intervals to stop the intermediate holding units at predetermined positions when the holding unit at one end of the arrangement is pulled by the power cylinder so that the holding units are arranged at predetermined intervals.

In operation, the piston rod of the power cylinder is projected to arrange the holding units at small intervals corresponding to those of electronic parts placed on a pallet mounted on a feed table in holding the electronic parts respectively with the holding units. In mounting the electronic parts on a socket at predetermined intervals, the piston rod of the power cylinder is retracted to expand the arrangement of the holding units until the holding units are stopped respectively by corresponding stoppers so that the holding units are arranged at predetermined large intervals corresponding to the predetermined intervals of the electronic parts on the socket, the holding units are moved to a predetermined position over the socket to position the electronic parts correctly at predetermined positions on the socket, and then the electronic parts are released from the holding units to mount the electronic parts on the socket in the predetermined arrangement.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an electronic parts conveying device embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the electronic parts conveying device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the electronic parts conveying device of Fig. 1 as viewed from the right-hand side of the same; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, of assistance in explaining the function of a holding unit of the electronic parts conveying device of Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary side elevations of the essential part of the electronic parts conveying device of Fig. 1, showing different stages of operation of the electronic parts conveying device; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of assistance in explaining the operation of a conventional electronic parts conveying device.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 3, an electronic parts conveying device 1 comprises a support braket 30, a plurality of holding units 40, 50, 60 and 70 arranged slidably in a line on the support bracket 30, a side plate 20 fixed to one end, i.e., the left end as viewed in Figs.

1 and 2, of the support bracket 30, a pair of guide rods 80 for guiding the holding units 50, 60 and 70, and a power cylinder 10 having a piston rod 11 and mounted on the side plate 20.

The holding unit 40 is screwed to the free end, i.e., the right end as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, of the support bracket 30, and the holding unit 70 at the extremity of the row of the holding units 40, 50, 60 and 70, namely, the left end holding unit, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is fixed to a plate 12 fixed to the free end of the piston rod 11. The guide rods 80 are extended between the holding unit 40 and the side plate 20 to guide the holding units 50, 60 and 70 for sliding movement along the support bracket 30. Studs 57, 67 and 77 are fixed to the respective opposite side surfaces of the frames 51, 61 and 71 of the holding units 50, 60 and 70, and extension coil springs 90 are extended between the studs 57, 67 and 77 on the opposite sides of the holding units 50, 60 and 70 to connect the holding units 50, 60 and 70 resiliently.

Stoppers 100 and 200, which are different in height, are provided fixedly on the support bracket 30 so as to engage the holding units 50 and 60 position the holding units 50 and 60, respectively.

The holding units 40, 50, 60 and 70 are substantially the same in construction, and hence only the construction of the holding unit 50 will be described by way of example.

Referring to Fig. 4, the holding unit 50 comprises a frame 51 having two through holes 51a and 51b respectively for receiving the pair of guide rods 80 therethrough, a cylinder 52 fixed to the substantially middle part of the frame 51, a guide sleeve 53, a slide shaft 54 associated through the guide sleeve 53 with the cylinder 52, a suction disk 55 attached to the lower end of the slide shaft 54, and a compression coil spring 56 wound around the slide shaft 54 to bias the slide shaft 54 downward.

The suction disk 55 is connected by a tube 300 through a solenoid valve 400 to a vacuum generator 500. The solenoid valve 400 is opened or closed to attract an electronic part to or to release an electronic part from the suction disk 55. Accordingly, the cylinder 5.2 is actuated to vertically move a cylinder shaft in the cylinder 52 so that a guide sleeve 53 is lifted or lowered. Furthermore, th slide shaft 54 can lift or lower the suction disk 55 by the distance S along the guide sleeve 53, which results in flexibly coping with variable hights of the electronic parts mounted on the pallet and in preventing the electronic parts being not attracted or held by the suction disk 55.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the respective heights of the respective lower surfaces 58, 68 and 78 of the frames 51, 61 and 71 of the holding units 50, 60 and 70 from the support bracket 30 decrease in the order of the frames 71, 61 and 51. The height of the upper surface 101 of the stopper 100 is higher than that of the lower surface 58 of the frame 51 and is lower than those of the frames 61 and 71. The height of the upper surface 201 of the stopper 200 is higher than that of the lower surface 68 of the frame 61 and is lower than that of the lower surface 78 of the frame 71. The stoppers 100 and 200 are fitted slidably in a slot formed in the support bracket 30 and are fastened to the support bracket 30 with screws.The screws fastening the stoppers 100 and 200 are unfastened to move the stoppers 100 and 200 respectively to desired positions, and then the stoppers 100 and 200 are fastened to the support bracket 30 with the screws.

An adjusting screw 13 is screwed in the left surface of the frame 71 of the holding unit 70 and is fastened in place by a nut N. In adjusting the distance between the side plate 20 and the holding unit 70, the nut N is unfastened and the adjusting screw 13 is turned so as to project from the left surface of the frame 71 by a length corresponding to a desired distance between the left surface of the frame 71 and the side plate 20, and then the nut N is fastened to fix the adjusting screw 13.

The operation of the electronic parts conveying device 1 thus constituted for conveying electronic parts from a pallet to a socket mounted on a working table will be described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

When the power cylinder 10 is driven to project the piston rod 11, the holding units 50 and 60 are moved along the guide rods 80 and are pressed by the holding unit 70 to the holding unit 40, and the extension coil springs 90 contract as shown in Fig. 5. In this state, the center distances between the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 are Q corresponding to intervals between electronic parts arranged on a pallet. The center distances g can be decided by selectively deciding the thicknesses of the frames 41, 51, 61 and 71 or by providing appropriate spacers respectively between the frames 41. and 51, between the frames 51 and 61 and between the frames 61 and 71.

The electronic parts conveying device 1 is moved by a robot hand, not shown, to a position above the pallet and is positioned so that the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 are positioned respectively above the electronic parts arranged on the pallet. Then, the electronic parts conveying device 1. is lowered to bring the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 into contact respectively with the electronic parts, and then the solenoid valve 400 is opened to attract the electronic parts to the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75. Then, the cylinders 42, 52, 62 and 72 are actuated to lift up the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 by the strokes of the respective cylinders 42, 52, 62 and 72. Then, the robot hand moves the electronic parts conveying device 1 to a position directly above the socket of a receiver.

Then, the power cylinder 10 is driven to retract the piston rod 11, and thereby the holding unit 70 is moved to the left together with the piston rod 11 until the extremity of the adjusting screw 13 is brought into abutment with the side plate 20 dragging the holding units 60 and 50 through the extension coil springs 90. The holding units 60 and 50 are stopped respectively at predetermined positions by the stoppers 200 and 100 as shown in Fig. 6. In this state, the respective center distances between the suction disks 45 and 55, between the suction disks 55 and 65, and between the suction disks 65 and 75 are L corresponding to intervals between the electronic parts on the socket.Then, the cylinders 42, 52, 62 and 72 are driven to lower the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 so that the electronic parts are placed respectively at mounting positions on the socket, and then the solenoid valve 400 is closed to release the electronic parts from the suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75. The center distances L can be decided by properly adjusting the length of projection of the adjusting screw 13 and the respective positions of the stoppers 100 and 200.

Thus, the center distances g between the adjacent suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 in picking up the electronic parts from the pallet, and the center distances L between the adjacent suction disks 45, 55, 65 and 75 in mounting the electronic parts on the socket are adjustable, and the holding units 50, 60 and 70 are movable so that the intervals between the adjacent holding units 40, 50, 60 and 70 vary between the center distances g and the center distances L. Therefore, the electronic parts conveying device 1 is able to transfer a plurality of electronic parts simultaneously from the pallet to the socket regardless of the difference between the intervals between the electronic parts on the pallet and those of the electronic parts on the socket.

The number of the holding units need not be limited to four, but the electronic parts conveying device may be provided with any number of holding units when necessary.

Although the electronic parts conveying device described herein by way of example employs the suction disks as holding means for holding the electronic parts, means for holding the electronic parts are not limited thereto, but may be any suitable holding means, for example, hooks or mechanical grippers.

As apparent from the foregoing description, the electronic parts conveying device according to the present invention is capable of simultaneously picking up a plurality of electronic parts from a pallet, simultaneously conveying the electronic parts from the pallet to a socket mounted on a receiver, and simultaneously mounting the electronic parts on the socket respectively at predetermined positions without requiring the coincidence between the intervals between the electronic parts on the pallet and those of the electronic parts on the socket. Accordingly, the electronic parts conveying device of the present invention reduces time for conveying and mounting electronic parts remarkably, and simplifies the control program for controlling the robot hand and the controller for implementing the control program to reduce the equipment cost remarkably.

Furthermore, the use of elastic members for interconnecting the holding units simplifies the holding unit moving mechanism, which facilitates the maintenance of the electronic parts conveying device and reduces the manufacturing cost of the electronic parts conveying device accordingly.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that many variations and changes are possible in the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electronic parts conveying device comprising: (a) a holding unit driving mechanism; (b) a side plate fixed to the main body of the holding unit driving means; (c) a support bracket fixed at one end thereof to the side plate; (d) a pair of guide rods fixed to the side plate so as to extend longitudinally away from the side plate; (e) a plurality of holding units slidably arranged in a row on the guide rods, one of the holding units at one end of the row near the side plate being fixedly connected to a holding unit driving member of the holding unit driving mechanism, and another of the holding units at the other end of the row remote from the side plate being fixed to the extremity of the support bracket; (f) elastic connecting members interconnecting the adjacent holding units; (g) stoppers for stopping the holding units at respective predetermined positions; and (h) an adjusting screw means provided on the holding unit at one end of the row near the side plate for adjusting the distance between the side plate and the holding units.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said holding units each comprise a frame, a cylinder fixed to the frame, a slide shaft associated with the cylinder, a guide sleeve for guiding the slide shaft, a holding member attached to the lower end of the slide shaft, and a resilient member biasing the slide shaft away from the cylinder.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the respective heights of the lower surfaces of said frames from said support bracket increase in the order of said holding units from the holding unit which is most remote from said side plate toward the holding unit which is nearest said side plate, and the respective heights of said stoppers increase in the order of said stoppers from the stopper which is most remote from said side plate toward the stopper which is nearest said side plate so that said holding units between said holding unit fixed to said support bracket and said holding unit fixedly connected to the driving member of said holding unit driving mechanism are stopped by said stoppers when said holding unit is moved toward said side plate by said holding unit driving mechanism dragging said holding units between said holding unit fixed to said support bracket and said holding unit fixedly connected to the driving member of said holding member driving mechanism.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said holding members are suction disks connected through a solenoid valve to a vacuum source.

5. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said holding members are mechanical grippers.

6. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said resilient members are compression coil springs.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said stoppers are slidably fitted in a slot formed in said support bracket and are capable of being fixed to said support bracket with fixing means respectively at desired positions.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said holding member driving mechanism is a pneumatic cylinder.

9. An electronic parts conveying device according to any preceding claim, wherein said elastic connecting members are extension coil springs.

10. An electronic parts conveying device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

11. Any novel feature ~ or combination of features described herein.